The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-02-10
NYE AMONG TIE INCONSISTENCIES.
THE LIVELY EXPERIENCE or AN IN
OUIRER AFTER TRUTH.

North Carolina and Tastes the Chemicals.
(Bn Nye in the New York W"rldD
AsIIEvIbIE, N. c., January l3.-Last
week l went out into tho mountains Tor
the purpose of securing holly tree wlth
red berries on it for Yuletide. h'''
noticed in all my pictures OF Christmas
festivities in England that tho molly
with cranberries on it, constituted the
back ground of Yuletido. A Iuletldo IN
England without holly bou8h and a
little mistletoo in it wouldn't DO worth
half price. Here these vegetables grow
in great profusion, owing to the cquablc
climate, and so the holly tree is within
the reach of all.
[ resolved to secure one personally, so
sped away into the mountains, where,
in less than the time it takes to tell it, L
had succeeded in finding q holly tree and
losing myself 1t is very solemn sen
sation to feel that you are lost, and that
before you can be found something is
liable to happen to the universe.
wandered aimlessly about for half an
hour, hoping that l would be missed in
society and some one sent i'll seal ch OF
me. [ was just about to give up in
despair and sink down on bed of moss
with the idea Of shutlling off six or seven
feet of mortal coil when, n few rods
away, saw blue smoke issuing from
the side of the mountain and rising to-
ward tho sky. / went rapidly toward it
and found it to be plain dug-out with
dirt floor. L entered and cast myself
upon q rude nail keg, allowing my feet
to remain suspended ut the lower end of
my legs, an attitude which l frequently
affect when fatigucd.
The place was not occupied at the time
l entered, though there was Il fire and
things looked as though the owner had
not been long absent. 1t seemed to be
kind of laboratory, for l could see here
and there the carmarks of the chemist.
L feared at first that it was bomb fac
tory, but as could not sec any Of these
implements in perfected state decided
that it was safe and waited for the owner
to arrive.
After somo timc I heard low, gutter
al footstep approaching up the hill. /
went to the door and exclaimed to the
proprietor as he came, "Mcny Christ
mas, Colonel"
"Merry Christmas bc-!" said he in
three dashcs, two hyphcns and an aston
Usher DO you want here, you double
dashed and double blankctcd blank to
dash and rcturn!"
The wording here is my own, but it
gives you IN idea Of how the convcrsa-
ton WAS drifting. You can sec by his
manner that literary people arc not alone
in being slrly, irritable and unreason-
able.
So I humored him and spoke kindly
to him and smOOthOd down his rUtlled
piumagc with my guy badinage, for he
wore shawl and you can never tell
whether man wearing a shaw is armed
or not.
J. noticed that he was mnn about
medium height, with clear cut features
and rehcating Drislict. His hair was
dark and hung i'll great waves, which
seemed to have caught the sunlight and
retained it together with great many
other atmospheric phenomena. He wore
n straw hat, such Us l. once saw Horace
Greeley catch grasshOppers in, on the
banks Of the kinnickinnick, Just before
he caught a small trout.
I spent some time with him Watching
him as he made his various experiments.
Finally he showed me Il new beverage
that he had been engaged i'll perfccting.
1t was inclosed in IL dark brown stone
receptacle, md was held in place by IL
common corn cob stopper. L took some
of it in order to show that [ conhdcd in
him. do not remember anything else
distinctly. The fumes Of this drink went
at once to my brain, where it lad what
might be termed Il complete wulkovcr.
L now have no hesitation in saying
that the fluid must have been alcoholic
in its nature, for when [ regained nv
consciousness L was extremely clsewhere
L found myself on road which seemed
to lead i'll two opposite directions, and
my mind was very much confused.
L hardly know how L got home, but [
finally did get there, accompanied by II
strong leaning toward prohibition. \
few days later | received the following
letter:
Sir-I at first thought when ! saw you
at my laboratory the other day that you
was low, inquisitive cuSs, and so l
spoke to you in harsh tones and re-
preached you and upbraidcd you by
calling you everything / could lay my
tongue to, but since then l have con-
cluded that you didn't know any better.
You said to me that you found my
place by seeing tho smoke coming out
OF my chimney; GnaG mas gwen mo an
idea that you might know something
about what's called smoke consumer,
of which / have heard.
/ am doing a fair business, Int am Il
good deal posterod, as you might say,
by people who como in on me when ! q,
not want to mingle in society. a man
IN the chemist business cannot succeed
If he is all the time interrupted by Tom
DICK and Harry coming in on him wncI
he is in the middle of an experiment.
l am engaged in making a remedy fol
which there IS great demand, but is
manufacture is regarded with suspicion
by United States officials who want t(
be considered Jealous. Rather than b,
drawn into any difficulty with these peo
pie, [ have always conrted retiremCn
and avoided the busy haults of mon
Still, some stroliing idiot or other vii
occasionally sec the smoke from my littl,
home and, drop in on me.
Gould you find out about this smol,,
consumer and see what the price woul,
be, and let me know as soon as possible